On October 26, 2017, Feminism Club at IUPUC hosted a Take Back the Night event with its co-sponsors, including IUPUC Student Affairs, the Take Back the Night Foundation, and Turning Point Domestic Violence Services.
For the second consecutive year, IUPUC served as a beacon of light, one of ten national points of light, as designated by the Take Back the Night Foundation. As a result of its efforts last year, the Take Back the Night Foundation reached out to Feminism Club officers this year to extend the invitation to continue as a beacon of light.
The Take Back the Night event began at 7:30 p.m. at the Exhibit Columbus art piece in front of the Bartholomew County Public Library. IUPUC students, staff, faculty, and Columbus community members participated in a symbolic walk in downtown Columbus. Speakers from IUPUC, the Columbus community, Turning Point, and the Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault were highlighted before and after the walk.
Among the featured speakers were Reinhold Hill, IUPUC vice chancellor and dean; Sandra Miles, IUPUC dean of students and director of Student Affairs; Mahri Irvine, director of Campus Initiatives at the Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault; and Sarah Flores, Bartholomew County Preventionist at Turning Point. According to Flores, “The Take Back the Night event was a huge success. With the large turnout, the motivating speakers, and the overall enthusiasm of the group, we were able to provide a space to be in solidarity with survivors of assault. During Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October), we encouraged all of Columbus to take a stand, and this event was the perfect example of what a unified community looks like.”
The importance of the Take Back the Night event is one also underscored by IUPUC students, faculty, and staff. Feminism Club president and IUPUC student Courtney Watkins states, “Feminism Club is dedicated to raising awareness of social justice issues, which includes gender-based violence, a subject we care very strongly about.”
According to Julie Goodspeed-Chadwick, professor of English and Women’s Studies and the faculty advisor of Feminism Club, “The Take Back the Night event in its entirety was intended to demonstrate support of and solidarity with victims and survivors of gendered violence, as well as to generate conversations about what violence against women is.” Brandi Rund, UITS Support Team Lead and the secretary of Feminism Club, observes, “I realized that we were making history for IUPUC and the Columbus community by showing our support for the victims of domestic violence. The up-beat music playing and the inspiring chants from the participants let passersby know that we, IUPUC faculty, staff, and students believe and support victims of all forms of abuse.”